Mandi recipe - Chicken mandi in oven - Baked smoky rice with chicken - Dakkous sauce-طريقة عمل مندي‎

Chicken mandi in oven with smoky flavor.

Mandi (Arabic: مندي‎) is a traditional dish that originated from Yemen consisting mainly of meat and rice with a special blend of spices, cooked in a pit underground.
This Video recipe will show you how to prepare Mandi at home.
This recipe will serve 6 - 8 portions

the Nutrition been counted to 6 portions.

Step 1 : chicken marination:
Chicken - 1,2 kg, cut in 2 halves
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon curcuma
1 1/2 teaspoons Mandi spice mix.
You can use a ready spice mix or blend it by mixing:
(cloves, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, chilli, bay leaves)
2 tbsp. olive oil

Step 2: For Mandi Rice:
Long Basmati Rice - 3 Cups (600 g)
Seedless golden raisins - 1/2 cup
Onion - 2 medium, (approx 1 cup)
Chillies - 1 pod
Olive oil - 3-4 tbsp. (45-60 ml)
Whole spices for rice:
cinnamon sticks 2 pieces
bay leaves 2-3 pieces
cardamon pods 7 pieces
cloves 5-7 pieces
black pepper
salt to taste
5 cups of chicken stock
suffron
1 piece of coal for smoking flavor



1. Marinate the chicken with mix of spices and olive oil for 1-2 hours minimum.
2. Mandi recipe requests the rice with long cooking time. Because chicken is baking on top of rice. so rice and chicken can be ready in a same time.
NOTE most common are Sela and Basmati rice for Mandi.
3. Prepare large oven safe stainless steel pot, and a separate small grill rack to arrange the chicken pieces. We are going to satee the onion and bake the rice in this pot.
4. Heat 3-4 tbsp. of olive oil in a large oven-safe stainless steel pot, add sliced onion and whole spices and fry for few seconds. Add in the golden raisins and fry until they puffed up.
5. Add in the washed rice and mix well.
Then add in chicken stock ( or water) , salt, chilli.
6. Place the small grill rack over the pot, arrange the chicken pieces over the rack. Cove with baking paper and foil. Place the pan along with chicken on the lower rack in the preheated oven.
7. Bake for about 40-60 minutes. remove foil and bake for another 20 mins till the chicken will be ready.
NOTE! Check the chicken, if the chicken is not cooked properly, place the grill rack on a baking sheet and place it again in the oven and bake until cooked. Baking time may vary according to the size of the chicken and oven model.
Once the chicken is done, place the chicken over the rice.
Keep a small foil bowl with dry peel of onion in the center of the pot. Place charcoal in the bowl, pour little oil over the charcoal.
Cover the pot with a tight lid. It will give a nice smoky flavor to the chicken and rice.
After 5-7 minutes, open the pot and carefully remove the charcoal bowl.
Serve the hot rice with chicken.

Dakkous (daqqus) sauce recipe:
5-6 tomatoes (600 g)
2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 chilli pod
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
fresh mint ( or dry)